The Alpha's Rescue
by Rainwatch
Summary: Rosy Cottoncloud. Handsome Rowdyfoot. Snickety Fastclaws. Eternal Snowymoon. And Juniper Bravebelle. They're all unique Jammers, with their own thoughts, beliefs and values. But after a vicious Phantom attack, they all volunteer to help the legendary Alpha's Guard fight back against the Phantoms — and in doing so, find themselves caught up in a tangled web of darkness and danger.
1. One - Rosy Cottoncloud

The moon was round and full as I limped home, gems rattling in my little cup. I was just a young Jammer, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

A little more hopeful then the sad sight of my cup.

I had counted the gems three times before I left. Posted by the news bulletin, begging for enough money to put food on my little orange table, I had scraped up twenty gems. Respectable enough, I supposed. Twenty Jammers had stopped by me, pitied me, and dropped a small colored token in my carrot cup. That was something to be proud of.

I wasn't fond of deceit. Some animals scraped by with trickery, stealing and scamming other Jammers. But if someone wanted to give you money out of the goodness of their heart… well, that was different. That was real, hard-earned money, money that was mine.

A shuffle of hooves sounded behind me made me turn around. There was a tall, proud looking horse just behind me, with long tan fur and orange stars speckled all around her body.

"Juniper," I nodded.

"Rosy," she said. She reached into her money pouch and withdrew two purple coins. There was a chink as they fell in my cup.

"I won three races today," she announced proudly. "So I have more than enough."

"Still at the Jamaa Derby, eh?" I laughed.

"What you do is you trick them," she laughed back. "You build up your speed until the very end, and then you go running like crazy. Boom, you've passed those four other horses ahead of you."

"I wish I was a horse. Then maybe I wouldn't have to beg," I said sadly.

"Maybe you could be fast anyways," she comforted. "Be the first bunny to participate in the Derby, eh? I bet you could beat me if you really tried."

"I couldn't. You're so fast."

"I bet you could if you practiced."

"But you've had more practice than me."

"Rosy Cottoncloud, I'm trying to comfort you!" Juniper burst, holding back a snicker. "Be kind!" She tightened her gem purse, letting go and laughing for real.

"Aww. No more gems?" I asked, looking at the purse.

"I only made, like, 450," she giggled. "And besides, you're not letting me comfort you. For that, you don't get any more."

"Fine. I would beat you if I practiced," I scoffed. Juniper smiled and plucked a gem out of the pouch. It was yellow this time.

"You're going to be a great Jammer one day, Rosy," Juniper said. "You're going to find something to work on, to pay for your house and your food and your clothing. I just know it."


	2. Two - Handsome Rowdyfoot

The disco ball circled above us. The dance floor flashed red and yellow and blue. Animals ran around, passing cakes and tall pink smoothies.

This was my element. A rocking dance party, complete with a full den of Jammers. I had an Enchanted Hollow den, and when you added decorations, it was ready for a party. Only ten gems to be admitted, plus half profits from arcade games, added up to riches.

A giraffe with at least eight bow ties curled around his neck walked up to me. "Best party ever," he breathed, holding a chocolate donut. "Beat my last Sky High score, too."

"How many gems did you get?" I laughed.

"256," he told me, digging into his pockets. "Here's half. 128 gems."

There was a chink as they passed into my gem pouch. "Nice ties," I remarked.

"Thanks," he laughed. "Name's Major Daringdog."

"Handsome Rowdyfoot," I told him. "But you already knew that."

"What are you planning on doing with the gems this time?" Major asked.

"I think I'll get a new den. Maybe something diamond. Those dens are always so big," I said.

"How many diamonds do you have?" the giraffe asked, tightening one of his ties.

"Eleven," I said, sipping from a glass of lemonade. "If I'm lucky, people pay diamonds to get in. One diamond covers ten people, and ten gems cover one. I've earned two tonight, and I'd saved up nine."

"You should get the Sky Kingdom den," Major laughed. "That'd be a lot of fun. Or Peck's Den."

"Too artsy," I waved off.

"True. I've never liked making Masterpieces." Major continued talking, but I ignored him.

My eyes were on a pretty black tiger. She had broad gray stripes, a silver chest, and a pirate sword clipped to her back. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to look away. She looked like the kind of tiger that doesn't often show up to a party.

"Excuse me, miss," I asked. "Do you mind me asking what your name is?"

Her eyes thinned to slits. "Eternal Snowymoon." She had on a butterfly clip that I felt might've just been for the occasion.

""What brings you to my humble abode?" I asked.

"I don't have anything else to do," she replied.

"You don't come here often, do you?" I said.

"Actually, no," she laughed. "But I'm not really a party person. I fight Phantoms for a living."

Suddenly my throat felt sticky.

So that's what that black pirate sword was for.


	3. Three - Snickety Fastclaws

I was surrounded by Jammers.

Kind of obvious. I mean, that's what happens when you go to Jamaa Township. There are Jammers. Everywhere.

But, unlike your everyday kind of Jammer, I could use that to my advantage. Because that's what you do when you're a lying, thieving, tricking hyena.

I located a polar bear with a blue fox hat and a yellow spike. "Excuse me, mister," I said innocently. "I'll trade you for that spike."

He rubbed the spiked collar. "What'll you trade me?"

"My entire trading list." I showed him my worn blanket, my den betas, and the rare cupcake hat I had just gotten yesterday. "You send me the spike, and I'll send you everything."

"Why don't we just go ahead and trade them right now?" he asked.

"Jam-a-grams or no deal," I hissed.

The polar bear gave a shrug and wrapped the spike up. He handed it to me, with a scribbled message "now send me the stuff".

"Can't," I said, shrugging. "I lost it."

The polar bear made a grab for my long purple ruff, but I whizzed away, skidding to a halt behind a large tree. Wildly, I looked for the bear. He was gone.

I was just about to recycle it for gems at Jam Mart Clothing when I saw a small brown rabbit with a violet flower clip on her leg, a dirty raccoon hat, and a carrot cup full of gems.

"Excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me," I sang, plopping down in front of her. "Little miss beggar, is that you? Finding a spot next to the bulletin board and hoping someone'll give you a gem?"

She looked sad. "Yeah, I guess that's all I am. A beggar. But one day I might take up racing."

"With the horses?" I laughed. "Listen, I have a proposition for you. But you have to follow me."

The bunny got up, grabbing her orange cup. "Alright. What's your name?"

"Snickety Fastclaws," I told her. "And you?"

"Rosy Cottoncloud."

"A perfect name for such a sweet little bunny," I told her. "Listen, do you know what I do for a living?"

She paused. "I saw you stealing from a polar bear."

"And it pays handsomely," I informed her angrily. "Now, if you want to be as rich as a guy like me, you can be my… er… assistant. Scout out rare-looking people for me."

"I don't want to be a scammer," she squeaked.

"And you don't have to," I squeaked back, mocking her. "You just look for rare Jammers, and I'll do the rest. You'll get 200 gems a day."

"200?" she gasped. The bunny was wavering, I could see that. She wanted those gems.

"That can buy a lot of carrots, Rosy," I laughed. "200 gems!"

She looked me dead in the eye, hiding the fear in those large green irises. "I'll do it."


	4. Four - Eternal Snowymoon

"I imagine Adventures would be a very easy way to make a living."

The dubstep music beat on in the distant, but I could hardly hear it through the cheering, dancing, writhing crowd. "If you're made of the right stuff," I told the animal before me. He had the same thick black fur as me, but he had large white paws and dark gray flame marks. Oh, and he was a wolf. Not a tiger.

"A friend of my— Commander Muddyscout— does Adventures. He says it's pretty repetitive," the wolf, Handsome Rowdyfoot, said.

"Oh, it is. But fighting Phantoms is never a bad thing to work on, if you know what you're doing," I told him.

"I'd imagine the Alphas would love you. Level?" Handsome asked.

"Nineteen," I shot back. "Now, I'd really be leaving."

"But you only just got here," he said, resting his head on the table. "Waste of ten gems."

"I get twenty-five gems for every Phantom I trap. I think ten isn't hard to earn back."

"Aww, come on. I want to finish this conversation."

"No," I hissed. "I have to go. I have a hummingbird to feed."

"Ah, so you like pets?" he said.

"Yes, I like pets, and that's why I'm leaving to feed one," I snarled. Handsome gave a hurt look, but I honestly didn't care. I had Phantoms to fight. This wolf only had a couple of parties to run, and running a party was hardly different from being in it. Except you got paid.

I sat up, trying to ignore the claw marks I left on the chair, and shoved past the crowd. Handsome yelped out a "wait", but I ignored it. I just wanted to get out of this dumb party, and I knew it had been a mistake coming there.

"Eternal! Eternal, wait!"

After about the twentieth shout, I whipped my head around. "What?!"

"Er," said Handsome Rowdyfoot. He paused. "This is awkward."

"Get on with it," I sighed.

"Um. Eternal. Do you want to do an Adventure with me?"


	5. Five - Juniper Bravebelle

"No! You can't do this!"

I pawed the ground angrily. "Rosy, this is the dumbest thing you have ever suggested to me!"

"Calm down, Juniper," Rosy said, flattening her ears. "You told me I could find a way to make money. I think this is my way."

"By scamming and stealing and LYING?" I screamed.

"None of the above," she dismissed, pouring the contents of her cup into her gem pouch. "I'll just scout out for rare Jammers. Foxes, wolves, tigers and whatnot with rare items."

"That's scamming if you're doing it for a SCAMMER!" I shouted, tossing my chocolate brown mane around.

"He's giving me gems! 200 a day!" she whined. "That's enough to pay for food and maybe even get a real house!"

"REAL HOUSES COST THOUSANDS OF GEMS!" I was so angry I kicked Rosy's carrot cup over, and she gave me a sad look.

"Snickety knows what he's doing," she sighed, like I was some kind of child. "He's a hyena. Purple fur, wavy dark mane. Who cares what I'm doing?"

"It's against everything you've ever stood for," I said, trying to calm myself down. "Rosy. The Jamaa Derby is a fair way to earn gems. Being a thief's assistant most certainly isn't."

"You don't know what I've stood for," she hissed.

"YOU TOLD ME YOU HATE SCAMMERS!" I roared, lifting up and shaking my hooves.

"Things change. I've changed," she told me. "You wouldn't understand what it's like to finally have money. He gave me 150 for working half a day yesterday."

I whipped around, sprinting away. I wouldn't associate myself with dumb old scammers. I wouldn't associate myself with the only friend I'd ever had.

As the moon shone down on my star-speckled fur, I let myself cry. I spent a lifetime racing other horses in the Jamaa Derby, hoping to feed myself and help feed Rosy, and she just threw that friendship away.

Everyone in Jamaa has a buddy list. You can just click a few buttons and ask someone if you want to be buddies, and click another if you want to stop being buddies.

It wasn't long before Rosy disappeared from my buddy list.


	6. Six - Handsome Rowdyfoot

I couldn't believe what I was doing.

Time was slowing. And then spinning out of control. And then grinding to a halt as I looked over at Eternal.

"What Adventure?" I said, trying to sound casual. And brave.

"Meet Cosmo's my favorite. It pulls in a lot of gems." She gestured towards a large green-and-white portal.

"Are you scared?"

"No," I choked. "Phantoms can't be much harder than party guests."

At that Eternal laughed. I didn't know why that made me so happy, but her laughter just filled me up with warm feelings. I turned away, looking at the portal.

"So we go in?"

"We go in," she agreed. "Usually I go alone. But I suppose now we could split the gems?"

"Take as much stuff as you like," I told her. "It's your career, these Adventures. I'm just a partier."

"Oh.. okay." She touched a couple buttons outside the portal. "Medium or hard?"

"Um. Hard. You want a challenge, don't you?"

"Hard it is." Eternal went tapping at the buttons, and the portal started swirling around.

"Together." I gulped.

"Together," she agreed, and plunged into the portal.


	7. Seven - Rosy Cottoncloud

"What about that one?"

"He's wearing a diamond shop spike. See how the spikes are light blue instead of white, and the collar itself is very dark black? I doubt he's that rare."

"Well, what about that otter?"

"Maybe. He doesn't look too gullible, so I don't know."

"You can tell how gullible someone is just by looking at them?"

Snickety and I were curled up in the shadow of a tree, watching the Jammers pass by. Today was like a test. If I could find a good Jammer for him to scam, then I was in; if not, no luck. I had to do well. This was my only chance.

"What about the penguin over there?" I asked Snickety.

"He's a nonmember," Snickety said, wrinkling his nose.

"So? I bet he's super rare," I said. "He's wearing a neon bow."

"Alright," Snickety said with a playful eye roll. "You can go check out his trade list."

I hopped towards him, trying not to look too suspicious. It was the first rare Jammer I had found! I was so excited! I forced myself to calm down and started to talk.

"Excuse me, Mr. Penguin?" I said, fidgeting with my paws. "May I see your trade list?"

"Why?" he said, looking at me skeptically. "What do you want to trade with me? You can't have many rares."

"Oh, I don't," I assured him. "I just want to see."

Still looking uncertain, he displayed his neon bow, his spikes, his den betas, and even a headdress. I almost gaped. This nonmember was _rare_.

"You done?" the penguin asked.

"Yes," I said, stumbling away.

"Not going to trade? Just looking?" the penguin grunted.

"Just looking," I repeated. My voice was high, squeaky, and nervous.

"Are you trying to scam me?" he said. "What's all of this for? Some kind of act?"

"Nope," I said. "I need — to get back — to my partner —"

"Your partner!" the penguin exclaimed. "Are you a scammer? I can report you, you know! Don't even try to take _this_ penguin's stuff!"

"I had really screwed up now. I gulped down my fears, took a few deep breaths, and bolted for Kimbara Outback. I could hear shouting, and then concerned voices, and finally it was silent except for the pumping of my legs and the pounding of my heart.

Nobody would be at Kimbara Outback, I kept on telling myself. I was safe there. I had to get out of here! Out, out, out, out!


	8. Eight - Eternal Snowymoon

My shoulder slammed into the ground, digging through the dirt. I coughed, glancing around wildly. My eyes landed on Handsome Rowdyfoot.

"Wow. Okay," he said, shaking slightly. "I feel like I'm going to throw up. That was a bit of a ride." He looked at his paws like they were mutant.

"Ever been through a portal before?" I rasped. A bit of soil had wormed its way into my throat.

"No. And… it was okay," he offered. "Not exactly a pleasure cruise. But that's fine."

I stood up, and all of the sudden the leaves around me starting spinning and morphing together. In a huge flourish of green, Cosmo appeared.

"Ah, more Jammers. A pleasure to meet you." The koala dipped his head.

"Cosmo?" Handsome scoffed. "The Cosmo?"

I nudged him, and Cosmo continued speaking. "Hey there! I am Cosmo, the koala Alpha. Welcome to the special part of Jamaa I like to call home! Those lousy Phantoms made a mess of this land while I was gone! There are polluted plants and streams all over the place. And none of my crops are growing!"

Cosmo looked at his paw, as if thinking there was a watch there. "Oh no! I sent out two koala explorers before I left. I hope the Phantoms didn't get to them! Could you water the crops in my garden while I make sure the explorers are safe?"

There was a flash of green and a cloud of dancing leaves, and Cosmo disappeared.

"You water those." I pointed to a patch of empty soil, and Handsome nodded. He grabbed a bucket from the well nearby and poured it over the crops.

I focused on a different patch. I grabbed a second bucket and sprinkled the water over the dirt, watching tiny seedlings start to sprout out. In a moment the seedlings had grown to huge green cabbage heads.

"Whoa. Are these… magic?"

I looked over, and the same had happened to Handsome's soil. Except instead of cabbage heads, there were great big blossoming tomatoes.

We continued to work, and we watered the polluted flowers just to be nice. In the end, when we looked at the garden, it looked beautiful.

"So serene…" Handsome murmured. He glanced over at me through the corner of his eyes. "Hey, Eternal, is that Cosmo the real Cosmo?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, is that the actual koala Alpha?"

I shuffled my paws. "I've talked a lot about that with some other Adventurers. We don't think so, because the Alphas can't handle all the Jammers that do Adventures at once. There are probably ten other people doing Meet Cosmo, and there aren't ten Cosmos. So we think it's one of two things: a fake, or some kind of recording."

"He said 'more Jammers', as in plural," Handsome pointed out. "But you said you always go alone. So it might be a fake if he can tell how many people are playing."

"Yeah," I said. I glanced over at the well. "Do you think Cosmo's ever coming back?"

Just as I finished speaking, there was another burst of green, and the koala Alpha (or fake koala Alpha) appeared in front of us. "Thank you for watering my garden," he chirped. "Those crops look great! I'm afraid that's the only piece of good news I have, though. The Phantoms have captured the two koala explorers! They were exploring the caverns to see if they could find ingredients for a new plant. Looks like it's up to us to rescue them. And I've got just the thing to help us!"

"He talks a lot," Handsome whispered out of the corner of his mouth. I giggled softly.

"This is a formula that will help this tree grow boomseeds. Boomseeds are special seeds that can help us defeat the Phantoms! Making boomseeds is a hard process that takes a lot of special special ingredients. The first three ingredients are nectar, chomper seeds, and honey. I've got nectar and chomper seeds in my den, and you can find honey in the beehive in my garden. Could you find those ingredients for me?"

Cosmo started stirring at a purple mixture, and I turned to Handsome. "I'll get the nectar, you get the chomper seeds, and we can both find the honey."

He followed me up the path to Cosmo's den, pushing past the door when we reached it. I entered a hot and moist room, covered with fruits, flowers, pools of water, and a monstrous plant at the very end.

I plucked a jar off one of the shelves and turned to the plant. Within each of the blossoms was a thin, clear liquid. I scooped it into the jar and closed off the lid. Handsome looked over me as I turned around.

"Got the chomper seeds," he murmured. "They were up past those stairs." He gestured towards some huge, leaf-shaped steps.

I nodded, and we stepped out of the den and into the cool air. Cosmo was waiting.

"These ingredients are fantastic! But don't forget: we still need honey," he informed us. Handsome and I headed down the path toward the beehive, and he stuck his paw in it. He came back with a honey-and-welt-covered leg. I laughed, looking at the bee stings.

"You're all right, Handsome Rowdyfoot," I giggled.

His eyes twinkled. "So are you."


	9. Nine - Snickety Fastclaws

I pressed myself against one of the trees, heart beating like mad. So that was it. We'd almost gotten caught.

I had stained the jam-a-gram with my sweaty paws as I read it. Over and over and over again, I read it. Rosy Cottoncloud had gotten seen, and she sprinted over to Kimbara Outback before someone could report her. I felt breathless. If anything, I should've been seen, not sweet, innocent little Rosy.

I pulled the 200 gems out of my pouch. They were gleaming, shiny, covered with splotches of lighter colors. Some were blue. Others were orange, yellow, purple, red… And why were they worth anything?

I fingered them. Why were 200 gems worth almost getting caught?

Slowly and shakily I made my way down the path towards Kimbara Outback. It wasn't a very popular place, the outback. I remembered the announcement: koalas had returned from their travels and discovered a new land. With that, kangaroos had also arrived in Jamaa, calling Kimbara Outback their home. It was basically Coral Canyons, just on the other side of Jamaa. That was why no one ever went there.

It wasn't long before I arrived in Kimbara Outback. There, cowering in the shadows of the Medical Center roof, was Rosy.

"You okay?" I asked, trying to play it cool. Obviously I wouldn't want to tip off the fox wandering nearby that we had, um, scammed.

"Fine," she murmured. "I'm pretty fast. It was no trouble."

"I don't believe that." I sat beside her. "C'mon. You're probably still a little nervous, and there's no reason to hide it. Here." I pulled 500 gems out of my pouch and handed it to her.

"F—five hundred?" she gawked.

"You've earned it." I stood up, glancing down at her, and walked away. "Also, Rosy?"

She looked at me, touching her gray raccoon hat gently.

"We never had this conversation," I told her.


	10. Ten - Handsome Rowdyfoot

"Now THAT was an adventure!"

Eternal and I burst out of the portal, laughing. She almost fell over, sides heaving.

"What prize did Cosmo give you?" she breathed.

"Over a thousand gems!" I exclaimed. "You Adventurers must make a lot of gems, huh?"

"Yes, it's very high-paying if you know what you're doing." She stopped laughing and looked at me straight in the eye. "In your case, I'm fairly certain you do."

"Ha," I said, nudging her. "That's the first time today you've ever praised me. Throughout all that Phantom and cave nonsense, you never once said anything."

"Well, you've proved yourself," she purred.

Eternal and I hobbled out of the "Meet Cosmo" portal area, ending up at the center of the Adventure Base Camp. There was a display of den items.

"You want one? For all our hard work?" she asked. I had my eyes on a small metal crate with a Phantom in it.

"Don't you want one of the larger pens?" she scoffed. "Phantoms are pretty wild. They need a lot of space if you have one captive."

"Yeah, but this one likes me," I said, gesturing to the Phantom. He zapped the end of my finger, and I yelped.

"Sounds like he loves you so much," Eternal giggled. "We can get him. He doesn't cost much."

I gave her a handful of gems, and she plopped them on a counter with a cash register and took the cage.

"You can keep it," she laughed. "I have a Phantom in my den already, and one is plenty for a decent Jammer."

I took it from her, beginning to think that the world would always be good as long as she was by my side, at the same moment the Phantoms attacked.

For a long minute or two, it was complete pandemonium. Jammers were screaming and ducking, and some of the experienced Adventurers like Eternal were scouting the place for boomseeds to throw at them. Phantoms walked the camp, and I saw several animals hunched over, the Phantom zaps having knocked them unconscious. For a sickening moment I couldn't see Eternal by my side, and I found her fighting a Phantom claw-to-tentacle. I rushed over to her, ready to aid her, when more Phantoms came swooping down. Two attacked me, hissing and zapping. And the other three circled around Eternal, struck her over and over again, and grabbed her unconscious body.

"No!" The cry escaped my lips, and I knocked the Phantoms over rushing towards Eternal. But it was too late. I flipped over, reaching on my hind legs, but my paws met empty air.

Eternal was gone.


	11. Eleven - Juniper Bravebelle

"Hey, you!"

I was walking the streets alone, hoping to find a friendly Jammer to talk with. But it looked like one had approached me. I whipped my head around, turning to face the orange-and-brown tiger.

"You! The horse!" He stopped, gasping. "We— we need everyone we can get— Adventure Base Camp— been attacked—"

"Attacked?!" I screamed. "The Adventure Base Camp was attacked?!"

"Phantoms," the tiger nodded, gulping. "Phantoms attacked the camp. I'm from the Alpha's Guard, I work with them to defend Jamaa. And Sir Gilbert asked me to look for Jammers who'd help me."

 _Sir Gilbert?_ The tiger continued.

"We need all the help we can get searching the Adventure Base Camp. It doesn't matter if you've never seen a Phantom in your life— we need animals to search for survivors," he explained. "You. We need you."

Suddenly I realized what his words meant.

This tiger was a member of the Alpha's Guard, a direct contact of the Alphas. He was working with Sir Gilbert.

And he wanted me. Me.

There was a lump in my throat as I remember Rosy. She had traded her friend for the life of a scammer. Her only friend. My only friend.

I had to do something with my life. I couldn't waste the time away doing nothing but racing and moping through the streets.

"I'll join you," I said. "I'm doing it. I'll fight the Phantoms."


	12. Twelve - Eternal Snowymoon

I had never worn a muzzle before. It was an entirely new experience.

The collar blocking my mouth was harsh, grating against the fur and feeling overall horrible. And I couldn't talk, or yell for help or anything. I could just sit there, wishing somebody would come to my rescue.

I was stuck in a tiny cage that I could barely squeeze myself into. There were locks sticking my paws to the wall, chains securing me, and of course a wretched muzzle wrapped around my snout. And there were Phantoms. Phantoms, everywhere.

"ZzzzzzpZZZZPT," laughed one of them. I didn't understand what they were saying, but it didn't feel exactly friendly.

Some of them knew Jamaasian. "Look at Prize," one said, gesturing towards me. I was their captive Prize.

"Prize is very pretty," agreed the next one. "Hey, you! Do you want some food?"

I couldn't nod. There was a metal bar locking my neck against the wall.

"What do animals even eat?" snorted a Phantom.

"ZZzzzZZZp?" suggested one nearby.

Most of the time their conversation was gruesome. Once in a while I would pick up on some sort of secret— I learned that their next target for attack was Sarepia Forest, a good location if they wanted to take over Jamaa Township. After that they would go after Mount Shiveer, Kimbara Outback, and maybe Appondale, creating an open path for the Township. I hated listening to them blab on and on about overtaking Jamaa, but I had to. If I made it out of there alive, I wanted to know as many Phantom secrets as I could.

There was one final thing I noticed: these Phantoms weren't like the ones in the Adventures. They were much stronger, and had keener sight. In Meet Cosmo, a Phantom wouldn't see you until you got close, but real life Phantoms could see what seemed like a mile away. The Adventures weren't real. I always suspected it, but now I knew for certain— the Alphas awarded me gems for fighting fake Phantoms and learning their fake secrets.

If— no, _when_ — I made it out of there, I was going to change my ways. No more Adventures. No more Alpha lies. I was going to fight Phantoms for real.


	13. Thirteen - Snickety Fastclaws

I felt faint.

I was flipping through Jamaa Journal, and there was the message: Phantoms attacked Adventure Base Camp.

A sprawling photograph covered a full page, dark and colorless. It was of the entrance to Adventure Base Camp, and a wolf desperately clawing his way out. I felt shaky just looking at it. What if that wolf was me? What if it was Rosy?

I continued reading. The wolf in the photo was named Handsome Rowdyfoot, and he had been found outside the camp, fleeing from the Phantoms. He gave a full account of the attack, and a search party for the camp was being readied.

That was all the article said. It ended abruptly, as if it was trying to hide all of the gritty details. Why had the Phantoms attacked? Was anyone injured? What had Handsome said? I had a sickening feeling that maybe they weren't supposed to cover such dangerous topics in such an innocent newspaper. Maybe it had been difficult enough to cover the attack at all.

I wanted so desperately to stop thinking about it, but I couldn't. I just couldn't push it away that anyone could've been in that camp. Rosy could've been in that camp.

And then I was thinking of my scamming. I imagined what it would be like if someone scammed me, and my beautiful rares disappeared just like that. Gone. All of them.

I was doing that to other people. I was stealing their rares.

"Rosy!" I screamed, tearing through the Township. "Rosy! Did you read Jamaa Journal?"

She had a grave look on her face. So she had, then.

"That's scary," she murmured. "I don't want to the Phantoms to attack us."

"We have to… we have to do something about it," I said.

Almost the same instance I spoke, a cheetah came sprinting through Jamaa Township, letting out a loud warning call. "Attention!" she cried. "As you Jammers might know, Adventure Base Camp has been attacked!"

"Well, no duh," snorted a rhino nearby.

"The Alphas are sending out a search party, and we need all the help we can get!" the cheetah cried. "All Jammers willing to follow me, go ahead!"

I looked over at Rosy. "You willing to follow her?" I smirked.

She smirked back. "I'll go wherever you go."

I put on a brave face and stepped towards the cheetah.


	14. Fourteen - Handsome Rowdyfoot

I still felt frightened.

I growled under my breath. I should have calmed down— it had been two days since the attack. But it was like a cloud was still lingering above my head, a cloud that smelled of Phantoms and stung with cold, hard fear. And this cloud seemed to be the only thing keeping me from Eternal.

"They're almost here." A huge orange wolf, one of the top members of the Alpha's Guard, was pacing back and forth in front of me. "The search party is coming. I can smell them."

"Who's in the search party?" I asked shakily.

"More members of the Alpha's Guard," the wolf, delightfully named Carrot Cake, answered. "I can smell Snowy, Fang, Topaz, and Orchid. But there's more. They found three willing Jammers— there's a horse, a rabbit, and a hyena."

I shivered. Hyenas were so creepy looking. I could picture the large spotted creature, with snapping teeth and odd gleaming eyes.

"I imagine you and I can join them, and then we'll set out," Carrot Cake murmured. "Of course, I may want to return to Greely."

"Aww. I wish you'd come with us."

Carrot Cake looked confused. "Why would you want me with you? We're not exactly friends yet. I'm a member of the Alpha's Guard, and you're a survivor of a Phantom attack."

"It's not a friend thing. You're hard— er, I mean tough. You could probably intimidate a Phantom," I stammered.

"Ah," Carrot Cake said, folding his paws. We were silent for a few moments.

"I can see them!" I exclaimed suddenly, pointing with my snout. "There's all the Jammers you told me, and a few others— a tiger, a sloth, an… an arctic fox, and a cheetah!"

"Is that the only survivor?" the horse asked anxiously

"No, of course not," the tiger growled. "We haven't investigated the attack yet— we found him stumbling outside the Adventure Base Camp. And we'd better introduce ourselves."

"Welcome, Fang," Carrot Cake nodded. "This is Handsome Rowdyfoot here. And I'm Carrot Cake, young Jammers.

"Ah, hi, Handsome Rowdyfoot," purred the cheetah. "I'm Topaz."

"I'm Snowy," chimed in the arctic fox.

"Orchid," the sloth nodded slowly.

"And I'm Fang," the tiger added. "This horse is Juniper Bravebelle, and those two over there are Rosy Cottoncloud and Snickety Fastclaws." He nodded to the rabbit and hyena.

"We'll set you guys out immediately," Carrot Cake said. "My fellow Guards, you know your protocol— but I'd better explain this to the Jammers."

He turned to Juniper and Snickety. "You two will focus on looking for survivors. Even unconscious Jammers are better than nothing— we can revive them immediately. Report any and all clues of life you find."

Carrot Cake then looked down on Rosy. "You're small. You can look in places that huge animals like Fang and Topaz can't. So you'll be looking for anything the Phantoms might've left behind— absolutely anything. A bit of pipe? Half a signpost? An incredibly detailed outline of their exact plans?" At that the Guard members laughed. "Whatever you can find," Carrot Cake finished, then he turned to me.

"You survived the attack," he said. "You have a better feel of where things are than anybody here, even the Guard members. I'm not giving you a specific job— like I'm not giving my fellow Guards one— but just a small notice: if anybody has a question about what happened or why they found this, you're the best one to turn to."

I gulped. That sounded like a hard job.

"Are we done here?" Carrot Cake asked.

"Yes," Topaz purred.

"Of course," Snowy squeaked in her high-pitched voice.

"Affirmative," Fang said.

"Er…" murmured Orchid. "Yes."

"Good. Run like the wind, my friends. I'm going to report to Greely," Carrot Cake announced.

"Run like the wind," Fang answered.


	15. Fifteen - Rosy Cottoncloud

The Adventure Base Camp was ransacked.

Phantom goop was pooled about, and little Phantom pods were starting to grow from the ashes. And there must've been half a dozen barely awake Jammers, murmuring about the attack.

Snickety went right ahead to tend to a giraffe with a monocle who had been knocked out by Phantoms. Juniper looked at a koala with full diamond-encrusted armor. And the four Guard members put their immediate attention on the paths, Adventure portals, and scenery that had been destroyed. I eyed Handsome Rowdyfoot— he had his head down, and I could just barely pick up him counting to five in a hushed whisper. He was afraid.

I could understand why I wouldn't want the Phantoms to attack. But I wasn't sure why we cared about tending to the Jammers who WERE attacked. We could spend that good time preparing to defend ourselves for another one, couldn't we? And besides, Snickety surely wouldn't have cared about them, like he didn't care about the Jammers he scammed. There wasn't any reason to bother with them.

Sighing and wishing to Mira that I could find something good, I began searching through the purple goop and bright Phantom pods. Occasionally I came across a scrap of paper, but it was written in some foreign language, with little dashes and lightning bolts. I couldn't read Phantom.

Finally I made out one word, scrawled in Jamaasian script underneath the Phantom letters: Fortress.

It was a map. I was holding a map of a Phantom fortress.

It was labeled in Phantom, but there was a Jamaasian translation under a good portion of the writing. Some of the translations seemed to be a little off, like a room labeled "Eat Room" that was clearly a dining room, but they were readable. Sleeping Room. Baths. King Area. Food Making. And, in shaky ink letters, Dungeons.

"I've found something!" I cried, shoving the map up in the air. Topaz came bounding up to me, followed by Snowy and Fang. I had already started explaining before Orchid slowly made her way over.

"It's a map of a fortress," I announced. "The labels are written in Phantom with a translation below, although why I'm not so sure about. And there, Dungeons!"

"That must be where Eternal's held!" Handsome blurted out. A few animals gave him questioning looks, and he murmured, "Er, I mean, that must be where the Jammers they kidnap are held."

Topaz looked sick. "I bet I know why they have translations," she murmured. "The Phantoms must have an animal ally. Someone who can only read Jamaasian."

"We need to go there," Fang growled. "We need to find those captive Jammers." He turned to Snowy and Orchid. "You two can get the survivors out of here, and give them to Liza so she can have a look at them. Cosmo, too. He probably knows some remedies."

Then he angled himself over at Topaz. "Get word of the map's discovery to Sir Gilbert. He'll want to know if we succeeded or not. And the cheetah Alpha, Olive— you can go to her too, since you're under her Guard Circle."

Finally, he turned to the rest of us, the Jammers. "We are going to infiltrate the Phantom fortress," he snarled. "Look at this map— there's an arrow at the bottom that says it's pointing to Coral Canyons. That's where we're headed. We go north at the Canyons, we reach the Phantom fortress."

"And the Jammers?" Handsome asked. "The ones that were kidnapped by the Phantoms?"

Fang gave a serious look. "We are going to bust those animals out of there."


	16. Sixteen - Snickety Fastclaws

My paws ached, but I pushed on. We were almost there. I couldn't stop now, just yards from a Phantom fortress! I brushed off the pain, following Fang to the large, grayish purple tower.

"I don't really see why we have to do this," Rosy grumbled. I glanced over at her.

"Because there are Jammers in there," I replied. "Jammers leading horrible lives, trapped by vicious Phantoms. If we want to rescue them, now's the time."

"Okay," Fang announced, crouching low to the ground. "There's the door just ahead. Here's the plan: we hide in this tall grass while Juniper knocks out the Phantom guard by the door. If more Phantoms join in, we can come in as backup, but I don't want to cause a huge commotion that'll get the Phantom King to notice us.

"Once the entryway is clear, we all sneak in. We'll show up in a sort of, er, security room. According to the map, it's where all the Phantom guards get together and discuss things. As long as we stay hidden, Handsome can knock out the Phantoms lingering around with his bow and arrows, and we can sneak into the next room, the bedrooms. It'll be daytime, so they'll be empty."

Rosy took a look at the map in Fang's paws. "So they keep the captured Jammers over there?" she asked, looking up at Fang.

"Yep. Once we get past the bedrooms," he continued, "we can cut our way past the bath area thing. Not sure why they need that— Phantoms aren't exactly fond of cleanliness. Anyways," he said, "outside the bath area is a stairwell that leads down into the dungeons. From what I can see, it's the quickest route and the one with the least Phantoms— you _could_ cut past the dining area, but that's got to be absolutely Phantom infested."

"What do Phantoms eat?"

Handsome was the first to speak. "They like to eat big animals like deer and whatnot if they can get them, but that's usually pretty dangerous. So they usually just try nuts and grasses. They can absorb the nutrients through their tentacles."

Everybody looked over at him, and he shrunk down. "At least, that's what Eternal says," Handsome murmured.

"Eternal?" echoed Juniper.

"A tiger. Friend of mine," Handsome explained, voice low and shaky. "Anyways, are we ready to put this plan into action?"

"I'm game if you're game," I said.

"Then let's go."


	17. Seventeen - Handsome Rowdyfoot

It was so ITCHY.

The grass, I mean. It stuck to my side and rubbed against my fur the wrong way. I hated sneaking in it, although I guess we didn't have much of a choice.

There was a loud THWUMP ahead of us, and Juniper's voice sounded a few feet away: "Come on, everyone! The entryway's clear!"

Fang led the group forward, creeping towards Juniper. Then, glancing at the door of the fortress, he twisted the knob and opened it up.

At least a hundred Phantoms burst out.

Juniper screamed, but she was cut off when the leader started speaking. "Don't think I didn't notice you taking out our best guard," he snarled. "Well, do you know what, you useless creatures? This means war."

Phantoms spurt out from the doorway, like they were coming out of a machine. In a moment we were surrounded, and I kept on wishing that Eternal was beside me. She was the best Phantom fighter I've ever known.

Fang clawed one of them, and all of the sudden the room burst into battle. Even Rosy, little innocent Rosy, took out a few phantoms. We were thrashing and fighting and kicking when all of the sudden a massive Phantom parted through the crowd.

"The Phantom King," Fang breathed.

He had a jagged head, shaped like a crown. I was shaking with fear. It was one of the Phantom Kings, right here in the fortress.

"You foolish animals," he snarled. His voice had a special grating quality, like he ate daggers and nails for breakfast. It was harsh against my ears.

"You dare attack my fortress!" the King continued. "You don't understand, Jammers, of my power. In one instant, I could have you shoved against the wall. In another, you'd be knocked out. In another…"

He went "kkkkkkkch". The King didn't have a neck, but somehow I got the impression that he was holding a tentacle at his throat.

"We'll leave you alone," Fang growled, keeping the wavering fear away from his voice. "We just wanted to _collect_ our fellow Jammers. The ones having a little stay in the fortress."

I heard some pawsteps, and suddenly there was a dark shape behind the King. I felt a lurch in my belly. It looked like a wolf! Was it a prisoner, or was it working for the phantoms?

"How hilarious," the Phantom King snarled. "Go. Now. If you ever return, you won't be so lucky."

Fang glanced over at us, nodding. My legs felt like jelly, but I forced them to move. In a moment we were galloping away from the fortress.

Every hope of seeing Eternal again disappeared at that moment.


	18. Eighteen - Eternal Snowymoon

The Phantom King was before me.

"Your little friends are very brave," he boomed. "But they aren't strong enough to take on ME, the mighty, powerful Phantom King! They know nothing!"

I struggled against the locks around my paws and the muzzle strapped to my snout. The Phantom King laughed.

"There is no escape. No one, and I mean no one, will enter or exit this tower." There was truth in his gaze, like he believed it to the core. "Your little friends, I let go—" I breathed a sigh of relief— "but next time, they won't be so lucky. You are my Prize, tiger."

I was trying my hardest to remain calm, but I couldn't help but grind my teeth. The Phantom King didn't seem to notice.

"Now… I have some questions," he growled. "Are you part of the Alpha's Guard or not?" He reached inside my cage, stroking the muzzle until it glowed purple and popped up.

"Not," I answered immediately.

"Liar!" he said. "I will make you tell the truth."

It's not a lie," I interrupted. "I play Adventures sometimes, but I swear I'm not in the guard."

He looked skeptical. "Well, if you're insistent, let's move on. Why is that wolf so determined to find you?"

I froze.

Maybe I was jumping to conclusions, maybe I was being idiot, but I had a feeling I knew what wolf the King was talking about.

Handsome Rowdyfoot was looking for me.

"I— I don't know," I stammered. "He— we were friends—" I imagined suddenly his wide smile, each ivory tooth. And then all I wanted was for Handsome to be there by my side.

"Why does the Alpha's Guard want to find you?" the Phantom King added. "If you aren't a part of them."

"The Alpha's Guard is looking for me too?" I said. "And— and this wolf that you're talking about?"

"Yes." The King pushed his tentacle through the cage. He zapped a blue lightning bolt towards me, and for I heartbeat I felt like I'd be shocked, but suddenly I felt calm and safe. _Of course I can tell the King everything. I trust him._

"Are you in the Alpha's Guard or not?" he asked silkily.

"No," I told him. "I've heard of them, but I haven't even seen a member before."

"Who is that wolf?"

"Handsome Rowdyfoot. He's a good friend of mine. I like him a lot." I couldn't stop the words from jumbling out.

"Are you in with the Alphas?" The Phantom King asked. His welcoming face was starting to get a bit fiercer, scarier.

"No," I said, and for some reason I started feeling more capable of controlling my words. I didn't feel the need to explain.

"If you aren't, then why is the Guard trying to get you back?" In a sudden lurch, the Phantom King was cold and hideous looking. I felt more aware of what was going on… What had happened? What sort of dark magic did this King have?

He seemed to notice that I had snapped out of his spell, and he grumbled under his breath. Out loud, he added, "That's fine. Enough questioning." He grabbed the muzzle and started to snap it onto my snout.

"Wait!" I yelped. He paused, and I continued. "You— you said they're looking for me? Handsome, and the Guard?"

"Yes," he said. "Yes, they are. But I would't fret on it, tiger. I won't let anyone, and I mean anyone, enter this tower."

His eyes flashed with a sudden energy. "And nobody will leave either."


	19. Nineteen - Rosy Cottoncloud

I felt so defeated.

We had a chance at getting the captured animals back, and we failed. Completely. We didn't even reach the fortress, and we were supposed to search through the place!

Something kept on nagging at me, something that had been growing and growing since I learned about the attack. Did we really need to save these Jammers? Shouldn't we be caring more for ourselves, for our own safety, instead of risking our very lives to make other Jammers happier?

Ever since I agreed to Snickety's deal, I had sort of gotten a new outlook. Snickety was right; there was no reason to worry about other animals.

I glanced over at him, at the large purple hyena scratching his ear. But Snickety didn't seem to think that anymore. He acted like he was so determined to save the animals. Suddenly, Snickety met my eyes.

"Rosy," he murmured. "I know what you're thinking. Why do we need to save these animals anyways, yadda yadda. But—"

"I get it, Snickety."

"Rosy." He looked me dead in the eye. "I— it's wrong, all of it. The scamming, stealing. And leaving these Jammers to rot in Phantom prisons… it's probably even worse. I don't want to be that kind of animal, and I... I think I've made you into one.

I turned away from him. "Well, I'm sorry if I don't agree with you."

His jaw fell open, but he quickly closed it. Hiding his surprise.

"Well, I— okay," he said softly. "I guess I don't know what I expected, Rosy."

I sighed. "I guess you didn't."


	20. Twenty - Juniper Bravebelle

Just past the crest of the hill, Handsome sat.

He looked alone, like his last friend had disappeared forever and not a random tiger that he might've kinda been attached to. I felt a hollow, empty space in my chest. I was that upset, except it was about Rosy Cottoncloud and whoever Eternal was.

I sat down next to him. "Well, er. Hi."

He looked over at me, his gaze full of sadness. "Um. Hi."

"You're... you've been kinda upset about Eternal," I observed. "Like, really. Handsome— I don't think—" I stared down at my hooves, and he sighed.

"You lost your friend, didn't you?" Handsome asked coolly. "People who party a lot tend to notice social situations, I've found."

"Yes," I said with a gulp. "It's Rosy. She— she's started hanging out with Snickety, and… He's _poisoning_ her. She isn't the bunny I knew."

Handsome slowly blinked. "I guess you know what's up with me," he muttered. "I befriended a tiger named Eternal, and we did an Adventure together. The Alpha's Guard discovered me outside of the Base Camp alone. With no Eternal beside me."

"So we've both lost friends," I pointed out. "And there's little chance of getting them back."

"Maybe that means we should be friends." He looked up at me, a smile forming in the corner of his lips.

"Maybe," I agreed.

We were silent for a while, the wind whistling above our heads.

"Let's agree on something," I said. "I could probably talk to Rosy if I really tried— and if you went with me. Plus, if we had a plan, we could take down the Phantoms and get Eternal back."

"What are you playing at?" he asked.

"We'll make a pact," I told him. "We try, try everything we have, to get our friends back. We fight those Phantoms, we talk with Snickety and Rosy, we do whatever it takes. And in the end, if we don't have them back, we try some more."

The smile was on fully now, and for a moment it looked like Handsome was almost laughing. "I like the way you're talking," he said brightly.

"Deal?"

"Deal."

It was silent for a bit longer, but a crackling sound in the bushes interrupted it. Snickety burst out.

"Juniper," he panted. "I— I need your help. It's Rosy."


	21. Twenty-one - Snickety Fastclaws

"Why would I ever help _you_?" Juniper snarled.

I figured she'd be like this.

"Juniper— maybe it's my fault, and you're right," I breathed. "In fact, it probably is. But there's one thing I know for sure: Rosy's not the same. She's... she's basically a scammer now."

"I'll— I'll—" Juniper screamed, slamming her hoof against the ground. "You horrible, rotten—"

"Juniper," I said. "You have to trust me."

"Why would I ever trust _you_?!" she shouted, and there was a fire ablaze in her eyes. I took a deep breath, remembering why I came here.

I was concerned about Rosy. About how she didn't want to help other Jammers. Really, that was how I used to feel, but it was wrong. And she felt that. I couldn't have that, knowing I had caused it. Knowing that I had made Rosy Cottoncloud into a monster.

"You can trust me because sometimes it's what you have to do," I told her calmly. "Sometimes you need help. Sometimes a person you love has made you in pain, and you have to trust someone you thought you never would trust." I looked her in the eyes. "Juniper, _please_. You know what to do."

"I will never help you!" she growled. Behind her, Handsome cleared his throat.

"If I may, Juniper, you just promised me that you would do whatever you could to get Rosy back," he hinted, grinning.

"So what?" she fumed.

"Well, I'm no mind-reader," Handsome said, shrugging. "But I think Snickety wants the old Rosy just as much as you."

The fire in her gaze melted away to smoldering coals. "I— you— but Snickety—"

"Juniper," Handsome said gently. "Snickety is not the bad guy."

This seemed too overwhelming for the horse. She plopped onto the ground, sighing as the dust billowed around her./div

This was what I had feared. This was always the worst-case scenario: Rosy that monster of herself, Juniper unwilling to trust me, my main source of gems completely out of the window… And somehow I was the one everyone hated. Rosy was mad because I wasn't agreeing with her anymore. Juniper was mad because of what I used to be. And Fang and Handsome… I wasn't sure if they were mad at me. But I certainly wasn't their favorite person. Why have friends if they would just leave you?

I blinked. So that was it.

My world was crashing down on me.


	22. Twenty-two - Handsome Rowdyfoot

I decided to let Snickety and Juniper work it out for themselves. I trusted them to do what was right without my help. And, anyway, I had my own problems.

I pressed my nose to the dirt, sniffing. Fang had gone this way - I could still see the tiger prints. I followed them, feeling generally awful inside. I wasn't busy enough, wasn't keeping my mind off of the fact that everything had fallen apart.

I was a partier. I always had been. But now… I had fallen in love with someone who wasn't. And I didn't see parties like I used to, not anymore. They weren't my escape, my secret to happiness. Eternal was.

The tiger prints led to a small hill, separated from where me and the other Jammers were camping. Fang was perched on top of it, the wind whistling in his ginger fur.

"We failed," he said glumly. "Sir Gilbert will hear what happened, and think it's my fault."

"It's not your fault," I told him. "Just the opposite. I wasn't quick enough."

"You were plenty quick," Fang shot back. "I made a stupid plan, and it failed." He buried his nose into his paws.

"What's it like, being on the Alpha's Guard?" I asked him. He looked up at me miserably.

"You serve your Alpha," he murmured. "You serve that animal with your life. Whatever Sir Gilbert says, I do." He looked at the sun, which had begun to dip below the horizon. "I'm glad I'm a tiger. Sir Gilbert is kind, and doesn't give orders that he doesn't mean. Barrett, however," Fang continued, "is the polar bear Alpha, and he's not so nice. Polar bears in the Alpha's Guard lead tough lives trying to please him."

"What about Greely?" I asked.

"He's alright, but he keeps secrets," Fang said. "He never tells you why you need to go on quests. Not like Sir Gilbert, who explains everything carefully." Fang looked into my eyes, and when he spoke again, he spoke carefully. "You would do good in the Alpha's Guard. Greely would… like you."

I shuffled my paws. "If we get out of this alive," I murmured, "I promise I'll join up. If I get Eternal back, we'll see if I can get her in the Guard too." I gave him a glance, suddenly anxious. "I can join up, right?"

"You need to be recommended," Fang answered. "And I think you've already proven your strength. Eternal, too, if she's been living this long in the Phantom King's dungeons."

"Then that's that," I said, and suddenly a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I had a life now, doing what was right. I had a life protecting Jamaa.

For the first time in a while, my dreams were peaceful that night.


	23. Twenty-three - Eternal Snowymoon

"We attack tonight."

Those three words were echoing across the fortress. "We attack tonight. We attack tonight. We attack tonight."

The Phantom King approached my cell, brushing past his chanting minions. "Are you coming to our attack? It'll be quick and speedy," he said with a sneer, reaching over and removing my muzzle. "They'll be no reason to worry about your little friends."

Attacking Handsome Rowdyfoot. I gulped, my innards sloshing around nervously. Why was I so nervous? Why did even laying eyes on that wolf make me nervous, much less attacking him?

"Do I need to participate?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"If you want to join the ranks of our army," the King replied. "And get out of that awful prison, much less."

I stared longingly at some of the chains wrapped around me.

"You have three options, tiger," the Phantom King rumbled. "You can stay here, and nothing happens. You can come with us and just watch, and we might lighten the load of locks and chains. You can come with us and fight, and you're free from those bars forever."

Was that worth it? Fighting? Suddenly I realized— if I tagged along with the Phantoms, I'd get to see the Guard and all who were fighting for me. And Handsome Rowdyfoot. He was pretty important, too.

I didn't have to fight them. The King was offering me an easy way out, surprising for such a devious creature. The only way it could go wrong… My mind refused to go in that direction. The Guard WOULD pull through. They would fight the Phantoms. There was no way they'd be overtaken.

"I'll come," I said, "but I don't think I want to fight."

The King unlocked my cage, tore off my chains, and opened the locks around my paws. He slid the muzzle back on and tied weird boots onto my paws to block out my sharp claws, but for the most part, I was free. I almost smiled, but the Phantoms around me put a grimace on my face immediately.

"We attack tonight. We attack tonight. And no one survives!"


	24. Twenty-four - Rosy Cottoncloud

"You want what?!"

"Rosy," Snickety said, his dark purple eyes drilling into mine, "you aren't like the rabbit you used to be. I want… a favor of you."

"Why should I give you a favor?" I demanded. "Are you trying to pretend like we're friends or something? Because _you_ seemed to think we weren't."

"Rosy... Talk with Juniper," Snickety begged.

"No!" I exclaimed. "Of all the favors… Juniper would never talk with me."

There was a kind of awful understanding to his eyes that made me think that Juniper had already agreed to do just that.

"Get away!" I hissed, turning. "You're not even my friend!"

"If we were ever friends," Snickety said, "then you would talk with Juniper for me."

"Maybe we weren't!" I told him.

A loud bellow sounded from far beyond the hill we were sitting on. I glanced over, seeing a dark shape gathering on the horizon. Squinting, I tried to make out what it was.

"Get down!" Fang cried, soaring through the air towards us. "It's the Phantom King! _Run_!"

I squeaked in protest and Snickety grabbed me in his mouth and started sprinting towards the tree line. Beside us, I could see Handsome, Juniper, and Fang taking long strides in the direction of the woods. I could smell wolves, foxes, and many other animals. It was Sarepia Forest.

Snickety threw me into the trees, panting as he skidded to a halt beside me. "Yes, Rosy," he said at my startled expression. "We're in Jamaa."

"This is bad," Fang said, stalking back and forth. "We can't get word to the Alphas— last I heard, Sir Gilbert was traveling south of Kimbara Outback, and the nearest Alpha's Guard headquarters is in a cave near Mount Shiveer. We can't get there in time; the Phantoms will wreak havoc on the Jammers in Sarepia Forest."

I could almost hear them, shouting out "My list for blue long spike!" or "Fashion show at my den! Winner gets a personalized Masterpiece!" Shaking at the thought of the Phantoms reaching them, I huddled towards Snickety. He might not have been my friend, but he was warm and safe.

"We have to fight," Handsome declared.

"We can't," Fang said miserably. "There's too many of them."

Handsome eyed Juniper with a glint of mischief in his eyes. What were they up to?

"We have to," he said. "Fang, do you not believe in me?"

All of the sudden, a large orange wolf crashed through the bushes.

"Carrot Cake!" Fang cried. "You're back! How did you find us?"

"Lucky guess," he rumbled. "Evidently Phantoms have been bragging about their recent victory. Greely got word of what happened, and told me to gather up as many Guard members as I could and search for you."

The animals from before— Topaz the cheetah, Snowy the arctic fox, and Orchid the sloth— were all there, plus many more that I didn't know the names of. About half were wolves— the one animal that Carrot Cake could easily get ahold of— but the rest was a mix-match of species. There were two otters, a spring bunny, a crocodile, and three snow leopards. The spring bunny, adorned with spirals of blue and yellow flowers, hopped over towards me and smiled.

"I'm Spider," she said. Her fur was a dark grayish-brown, like her namesake.

"I'm Rosy," I echoed. "Rosy Cottoncloud."

"We've come to help you get the missing Jammers back," said Snowy. "And Valentina, the eagle Alpha, has some valuable spies. According the the eagles, the Phantoms are hoping to destroy Sarepia Forest after they take you all captive. That's their number two priority. You're their number one."

"We're here to protect you," the crocodile rumbled. "That's our orders, no matter what happens."

"Why us?" Handsome asked. "We're no more important than you."

"We are old," the crocodile said with a laugh. "And— in comparison, at least— you are a child."

"You've witnessed a Phantom attack and lived to tell the tale of it, Handsome," one of the snow leopards snorted. "And the rest of you? You volunteered to do this. I'm a prized member of the Alpha's Guard, but I didn't volunteer. I thought it was far too risky. They had to _force_ me to join up."

Spider looked up, staring into all of our eyes. I knew I already liked her, even though I didn't know much else about her.

"You four Jammers, and whoever we can scrape up from the Phantom dungeons, are the future of Jamaa," she said. She dipped her head towards Carrot Cake, who began to organize us into patrols.


	25. Twenty-five - Juniper Bravebelle

Handsome Rowdyfoot, Topaz, Fang, Carrot Cake, two wolves named Howl and Fall Leaf, a snow leopard named Fierce, and I stood in a line.

We were the front lines. We were the ones delving into battle, claws extended, fangs bared, all our energy devoted to the fighting part. We were the bravest, strongest, fastest, smartest… Most of us.

I wasn't really sure what I was doing up there, to be honest. I had hooves that could knock out a Phantom in one hit, but I wasn't good at using them. And I might've been fast, but I didn't know how to use that to my advantage in a fierce battle. But Fierce, who was supposedly a great judge of character, chose me from the front lines.

Behind us were the slightly slower, less dangerous creatures. The other two snow leopards, Lilac and Silver, were two such animals. Next to them was Snickety Fastclaws, Snowy, a wolf named Stream, a crocodile named Dragon's Fire, and the two otters, Splash and Flippers.

At the very back were Rosy and Spider, the two bunnies, as well as Orchid. Protecting them were three wolves named Moon, Oak, and Birdsong. Fang had put them there, hoping to use the fierce and brave wolves as a last resort in a struggling battle. If all else failed, if the Phantoms captured all of the Jammers and Guard members, the three wolves at the very edge of the trees had sworn that they would fight no matter what. And Rosy, Orchid, and Spider? They were messengers. If the battle went wrong, they would hide in the trees and bring word to the Alphas.

We had a plan. We would pull through.

No matter what happened.


	26. Twenty-six - Eternal Snowymoon

"Keep it up, Jammer," spat a nearby Phantom.

"Don't slow down," hissed another. "We are fierce. We are swift. You must keep up if you want to come."

"We won't carry you," snarled yet another.

I sighed, forcing my paws to go faster. The boots clanked against the ground awkwardly and slowed me down, but I managed to keep up with the Phantoms. I had to.

There was some sort of burning desire within me to reach the battle site, to see the creatures that were fighting for me. A part of me wanted to fight with them, to turn my back on the Phantoms and join the Alpha's Guard. But the muzzle and the boots kept me from doing anything too severe.

Suddenly my heart started thumping. This was it. I would see Handsome Rowdyfoot again.

Up on the horizon, my eyes landed on a line of animals. The largest of which was a tiger with large teeth and a fierce, angry expression on his face. As we got closer, I saw an old snow leopard, a cheetah, a horse, and at least four wolves. A few animals were filed behind them, but I couldn't make out the shapes from the distance.

"Keep up!" a Phantom cried in my ear. I winced and continued walking.

The line of animals became even clearer as we got closer. My heartbeat quickened as I recognized Handsome Rowdyfoot. That was him— his phoenix amulet, fox hat, green bow, elf tail armor, and those jagged gray lightning marks. He was here, fighting for me.

"Wha… Eternal?" he cried, looking towards me. "Eternal! You're here!"

The Phantoms circled around me, hissing and spitting. "There's the wolf," one of them growled.

"Get away from Eternal!" Handsome growled. The cheetah beside him held a paw out, blocking him from running.

"She's our prisoner, wolf," the Phantom King boasted. "You won't touch her."

The two armies, Phantoms on one side and animals on the other, stood for a few moments in silence. Then a lone Phantom charged forward. The tiger in the lead swatted it and it floated away dizzily.

The entire battlefield erupted into chaos. I stood at the edge of the forest, watching zaps and lightning and claws and fangs. My only duty was to stay out of the fight and not join the other animals, but I was itching to turn my back on the wretched Phantoms. I wanted to cry out when I saw the dark creatures swarm around Handsome, and to cheer when he pulled through and broke past the line of Phantoms. I wanted so desperately to at least do _something_.

Finally, when the horse collapsed and the Phantom King had three animals pinned down, I reached my limit. I ran towards those poor, poor animals, doing all of this for trapped Jammers like me. I just wanted to help them fight. I just wanted to whip my pirate sword out, bare my fangs, and protect the Alpha's Guard. I tugged the muzzle off my face and bit the boots off my paws.

A large, dark shape came to face me all of the sudden.

Yelping, I skidded to a halt in front of the Phantom King.


	27. Twenty-seven - Rosy Cottoncloud

"Should we go to warn the Alphas yet?"

"No, Rosy. We need to be sure we have enough information for them."

I sighed, digging my paws into the grass. I didn't want to get my paws all dirty fighting, but why was it taking so long? There were two armies. They each wanted to defeat each other. _Why couldn't we just find out who won?_

"Be… pa.. tient," said Orchid. "Life… goes… slow… ly."

Utterly bored, I watched the battle move around me. Phantoms zapped animals, animals clawed Phantoms… it was the same old stuff. I wanted something _new_ and _interesting_ and _exciting_.

There was a dark shape moving far, far in the distance. Squinting, I made out a black tiger. Wait… was that Eternal?

Birdsong, one of the wolves protecting us, collapsed in a heap of gray fur. I squeaked as a nearby Phantom zapped her, over and over and over again. Birdsong's eyes were glazed over in pain, and she let out a miserable croak.

And then, very suddenly, it hit me.

I should care about these animals. I should try to stop their pain. Because if I had a chance to save someone and I didn't because I didn't care, then what would happen if that someone had a chance to save me?

No animal should be in this much pain. No animal deserved it, even a cruel, evil one like the Phantom King. Or a jerk like Juniper.

And then that hit me too. Juniper wasn't a jerk; she just wanted her friend back. She didn't want a scammer, and I had clearly turned into one. Juniper was being mean for a reason.

"It's time to get out of here," Spider whispered. "C'mon, Rosy."

I looked over at Snickety and Juniper, wishing I could run to them.

"I'm staying," I told Spider.

"Please, Rosy," she hissed. "We have to warn the Alphas before the Phantoms get to _us_ like they got to Birdsong!"

"You can warn the Alphas," I told her. "I want to see what's going to happen to my friends.

"You don't have any friends, remember? You said Snickety and Juniper betrayed you!" Spider exclaimed, looking panicked. "Rosy, what's gotten into you?"

"Go!" I told her. "Run! Do whatever you want to! But no matter what, I'm staying!"


	28. Twenty-eight - Snickety Fastclaws

I wanted to cry. It was hopeless. The Phantoms would overcome us. Eternal, the love of Handsome's life, would be holed back up in the dungeons. Rosy and Juniper would never make up. And I would be alone, forever and ever like I _always_ was. I wasn't sure why I kept on expecting a happy ending.

The Alphas probably didn't even care about us. They didn't come to help; they sent normal animals like us to fight. They probably thought we were doomed to fail, and we weren't worth it. We were alone. I was alone.

"Retreat!" Fang tried to yell over the massing Phantoms.

"Please just let us retreat," one of the wolves was begging the Phantoms. "All we ask is safe passage back home."

"Never! ZZzzP!" shouted a Phantom.

"We will fight until the end!" another cried.

"We need to get out of here!" Fang yelled again. "Phantoms, surely there is a soft spot in your hearts?"

"Not for filthy Jammers and Alpha's Guard members," the Phantom King growled. "We will imprison you or you will die." He was holding a dangling Eternal with one tentacle.

I glanced over at Handsome. His eyes were red and puffy.

"Take me," I told the Phantoms. "I don't care if you take the others… If you're going to imprison someone, take me. I have nothing to lose." I didn't even think before I spoke.

Rosy glanced over from the tree line, acting like my words hurt her.

"Maybe we can get some information out of him," a Phantom pointed out.

I heard a crying yelp, and the Phantom King released Eternal and shook his tentacle. There was a throbbing wound on the King's tentacle, as if Eternal had bitten him. Eternal was alive! She was just faking it!

The battle, which had grinded to a stop, started gearing back up again. Eternal and Handsome fought together, working harmoniously. I wished I could work with Rosy like that.

I shook off the thought and started clawing the Phantoms around me. There was a sudden energy inside me, like the awful hopelessness inside of me had dissipated ever so slightly. We were alone, yes, but slightly less alone. Eternal had joined us.

The battle raged around me. The blood roared in my ears. Slowly, slowly, we fought off the Phantoms.

"Yes!" Fang cheered when finally, the last of the Phantoms turned around and fled. "We won! We did it! Now we just have to rescue the rest…"

He paused, eyes on Eternal. I followed his gaze.

Eternal Snowymoon had just collapsed.


	29. Twenty-nine - Eternal Snowymoon

I was sore all over. The spots where the Phantoms had zapped me were even worse, stinging and burning with every movement. I could barely keep my eyes open and my feet on the ground.

And so I collapsed. I succumbed to the darkness.

I felt like I was floating in a cloud of pure black. A flicker of light shone far, far away. I wanted to feel the warmth of the light. So slowly, I moved towards it. It meant brightness and happiness and safety.

"Eternal!"

The cry echoed around my mind, and I flinched. Handsome Rowdyfoot.

On one side of me was the warm, safe light. On the other was pure darkness. But there was hope in that darkness, and happiness as well. It had to be happy if it had Handsome in it.

I pondered for a moment, and I decided that no matter how bright, warm, and safe a world is, it was nothing in comparison to a world with Handsome. And then I floated away from the light and into the cold darkness.


	30. Thirty - Handsome Rowdyfoot

A wolf howled, miles and miles and miles away.

It sounded pained, trying to work out all the frustration and guilt and regret it had felt in the recent days. And I felt quite a bit of that myself. Forming my mouth into an O shape, I pointed my snout towards the sky and let out a long, mournful howl.

Carrot Cake soon joined in. Moon and Oak, standing at the limp form of Birdsong, howled with me. And then the rest of the wolves — Fall Leaf, Howl, and Stream — joined in. The night air was filled with our echoing cries, mixed with joy at beating the Phantoms and sadness at the losses we faced.

I heard a roar as Fierce, the wise old snow leopard, joined in. There was a similar sound when Fang, Topaz, Snowy, and the other leopards, Lilac and Silver, added their cries. And then, voice by voice, every animal became part of the harmony. Dragon's Fire belched out a steady shriek, Juniper whinnied, Snickety added a wild shout that sounded a little like laughing, and the two otters made strange baying sounds.

And then, a tiger joined in.

It was so distinct, so different from even Fang's roar, than I knew from the moment I heard it that it was Eternal. A fierce joy overtook me as I looked into her eyes and knew that I would always be safe forever. Because by some miracle, she was alive.

We howled, we roared, we shouted at the twinkling stars above us.


	31. Thirty-one - Juniper Bravebelle

A squeak behind me made me stop whinnying.

It couldn't be. It wasn't. Slowly, I turned around to face Rosy Cottoncloud.

"Spider and Orchid…" I began.

"They left to warn the Alphas, but I wanted to stay." Her eyes twinkled. "I guess they didn't need to, though."

"Rosy?" I asked. She craned her neck up at me, and I continued. "Do you… do you still think… I mean, Snickety…"

She nodded. "Snickety thought like a scammer. I know, I know, I'll admit that he did. But seeing the Phantoms attack Base Camp… it had the opposite effect on him than it did on me. He wanted to help them, and I started thinking like a scammer as well; why should I care about anyone besides myself?"

Rosy fell silent. After a few moments of looking at me, she continued: "But I do care about others. I guess I didn't, for quite a while… But I care about you. And I believe Snickety means no harm, so I've let myself care about him, too."

We fell silent. The howling and roaring had died away, and the animals were silently celebrating their victory.

"Rosy?" Snickety Fastclaws stepped towards us. "Rosy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "The only thing that's left is to rescue the trapped Jammers."

"You want to rescue them?" Snickety asked, his voice dripping with surprise. Then he smiled, understanding glinting in his beetle black eyes.

There was a sudden crash, like a hundred plants being ripped about and thousands of grains of soil being slammed into. Confused, I glanced upwards. I nearly fell over at what I saw.

It was the Phantom King. And he brought reinforcements.

Tired and achey as we were, we were no match for the ongoing Phantoms. A few thoughts raced through my head as I stepped up to fight.

The Alphas abandoned us. _Mira_ abandoned us.

As I delved into the wave of black, that was all I could think about.


	32. Thirty-two - Snickety Fastclaws

Rosy's back.

We were going to get destroyed out there.

It was going to be okay.

The Phantoms would kidnap all of us, and everything we'd worked for was going to be gone forever.

Rosy, beautiful young Rosy, was her old self again.

We were all goners, and there were no Alphas to protect us.

My mind was torn between two ideas — the fact that Rosy and Juniper and I were finally safe, and the fact that we were no match for the Phantoms. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. I could only fight. For Juniper, maybe, for Fang and Eternal and Handsome. But most of all, the biggest thing I fought for, was Rosy. Because life was only worth living if she was safe, and she was happy. Most of all, if she was happy because of me.

I let myself be ripped in half between safety and danger, happiness and despair, light and darkness. I could do nothing to fight it.

"Snickety!" cried Rosy. "Snickety! Just… remember we can do this!"

"We can try," I replied, clawing at a thrashing mass of Phantoms. Some part of me understood that this was where my sob story ended. I just had to get Rosy out of there safely before the Phantoms got to me.

Rosy. Rosy. Rosy!

A dark shape was darting towards her. Yelping, I broke into a sprint. The Phantom had just reached her… my vision was lined with darkness… surely this couldn't be happening, I'd wake up and realize it was an awful nightmare, all of it…

A massive tiger burst from the trees.

I skidded to a halt. The tiger, with a ragged red cape, shoulder plates, leg cuffs, and a large beard, caught the Phantom heading towards Rosy in his claws and threw it many yards away. A wolf with dark blue fur, a worn brown blanket, and similar leg cuffs was moments behind him, followed by a fierce pink bunny. In a matter of seconds, the rest of the Alphas filed out into the plains. Liza's purple-gem staff, Peck's earring, Greely's dark gem, Sir Gilbert's red ring, Cosmo's staff, and Graham's green gem glowed with the power of the Alphas as they ran into battle. The Phantoms scattered.

"You… Gilbert!" cried out the King.

"Yes?" Sir Gilbert said, and a laugh rang in his clear voice.

"You're always meddling in the Phantoms' business," the King snarled.

"It is my duty to," Sir Gilbert replied, and slapped the dark creature on his single eye.

Yowling loudly, the Phantom King collected his forces and deserted the battlefield. It was silent for a few moments, before Greely turned to Carrot Cake.

"That was acceptable," Greely admitted. "You were outnumbered, after all."

"It was brilliant!" Sir Gilbert cried, darting towards Fang. "I knew you were a ready member of the Alpha's Guard, yes sir. And now, you've proved yourself again!"

"We rescued one of the prisoners," Handsome declared, looking towards Eternal with warm eyes. A thought flashed into my head — I wished Rosy would look at me like that — but I shoved it off as soon as it came.

"We weakened the bratty Phantoms," Topaz laughed. "They won't dare attack us again! We can send a patrol in and gather the rest of the Jammers!"

"It was a well-fought success," agreed Fang.

Despite the victory, I felt restless. Frowning, I walked up to Sir Gilbert and started to speak.

"Thank you," I said.

"It's my duty to protect Jamaa," he replied.

"You saved Rosy," I informed him.

It's my duty," he repeated, smiling. "You can never give up fighting for your homeland."

Feeling like a weight was off my shoulders (although I wasn't entirely certain why), I stepped through the crowd of Alphas, Guard members, and Jammers, rejoining Rosy and Juniper at the edge of the forest.


	33. Thirty-three - Eternal Snowymoon

_Four weeks later..._

"Would you want them by your side in battle?" Sir Gilbert asked.

"They are honorable warriors and brilliant soldiers," Fang promised.

"Then you, by your right as commander of the third subsection of Sir Gilbert's Circle, do you swear that you would trust these animals with your life and that they are worthy?"

"I would, and they are," Fang swore.

Almost a month after the Battle of Sarepia (as is was later called), we finally managed to sort through the ceremonies, awards, and battle plans. And now, under the light of the setting sun, Fang was making us official members of the Alpha's Guard, as he had promised to Handsome before.

I couldn't continue doing Adventures. They were fake and easy in comparison the thrill of real battle. But I could join the Alpha's Guard; I could continue to fight for the trapped Jammers like me.

And I could be with Handsome.

"Then do you, Eternal Snowymoon, Handsome Rowdyfoot, Snickety Fastclaws, Juniper Bravebelle, and Rosy Cottoncloud, accept this responsibility with ease?" Sir Gilbert asked.

"I do," Handsome said.

"I do," I said, flicking my tail.

Sir Gilbert nodded, a smile curving in his large beard. "Eternal, I assign you to Fang's subsection, and I leave the rest with their respected Alphas."

"We'll get to talk, right?" Handsome asked.

"I'll spend every moment possible with you," I promised.

The rest of the Jammers and Guard members who fought with us were all in the room. Juniper, Rosy, and Snickety were joining with us; Carrot Cake and the rest of the members were watching happily. At the front of the room, where Fang and Sir Gilbert sat, there was also Greely, Peck, Sophia the horse, and Biff the hyena. Since Fang was the one who requested for us to be members, Sir Gilbert initiated the ceremony.

"Congratulations!" came a shout. I turned. It was Spider, stepping up to face Rosy.

"Congratulations," agreed Carrot Cake's wolf army, aimed mostly at Handsome. The silky black wolf, with a white chest and gray flame markings, turned to me and smiled.

"Congratulations," he repeated, and nuzzled me on the cheek.

* * *

 **A/N** : As of right now, the sequel is up! If you want to hear more of their story, please check out The Alpha's Rescue! It picks up a few weeks after this story leaves off, on the new Guard members' first mission...


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